Page 120
Story: Hello Doctor
Maya was going home with her after the party, and it would just be Liv and me and the chasm my past had created between us.
I carefully folded some of Maya’s favorite dresses, setting them in the suitcase. Her clothes with the eight on the tag were just a reminder of her growth. I remembered packing up her infant clothes and wondering how so many of them still had brand-new tags. Then boxing up her toddler clothes and not believing that she’d ever been so small. Before I knew it, she’d be ten, then a teenager, and moving on to live a life of her own.
My little girl.
The doorbell echoed through the house, and Graham yapped loudly, his claws scrabbling over the hardwood toward the foyer.
“Oh hush,” I told him, following him to the front door.
When I opened it, I saw Regina in a flowy white shirt and denim shorts beside my old colleague, Ben. He wore swim trunks and a T-shirt, different from the business clothing I’d always seen him in.
“Fletcher,” he said, extending his hand.
I nodded, wishing I could say it was good to see him. “Come on in.”
They followed me inside, and Regina said, “Wow, I didn’t know they made houses like this in the boonies.”
I tried to ignore the jab at small-town living and said, “It’s a nice place for Maya and me to call home.”
She didn’t reply, looking around.
“Maya should be back soon,” I said. “Why don’t you two sit in the living room. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’d love a beer,” Ben said.
You and me both, I thought.
“Just water,” Regina replied, following Ben to the couch. “Where’s Liv?”
Going to the fridge, I said, “She’s prepping for the party. She’s been so good to Maya today.”
I’d brought them both drinks when my brother’s loud truck came roaring into the driveway.
“Hayes?” Regina asked knowingly.
I chuckled. “Some things never change.”
Soon, Maya came running into the house, a ring of chocolate around her lips. “MOMMY!” She ran to Regina, leaping into her arms.
To her credit, Regina didn’t pull away from all the chocolate, instead circling her arms around our daughter. With Maya still on her lap, Regina said, “Maya, this is my boyfriend, Ben. Phoebe’s dad.”
“Hi,” Maya said shyly.
“Nice to meet you,” Ben said with a smile. “I heard you met Phoebe at Sugar Rush.”
Maya nodded. “Did she come for the party?”
Ben shook his head. “She’s with her mom this weekend.”
Hayes and Knox came into the house in their swim trunks and cut-off T-shirts. They were nice enough to Regina and Ben, saying hi before Knox said, “Should we head out to the river, Fletch?”
I nodded. “It’s about that time.”
Maya asked, “Can I ride with Mommy and Ben?”
The fact that she didn’t want to ride with me hit me in the gut. I knew I shouldn’t be jealous, but some things didn’t come so naturally. “If it’s okay with your mom, it’s okay with me,” I finally said.
Regina smiled. “Of course it is. Ben, can you carry her bag to the trunk?”
I carefully folded some of Maya’s favorite dresses, setting them in the suitcase. Her clothes with the eight on the tag were just a reminder of her growth. I remembered packing up her infant clothes and wondering how so many of them still had brand-new tags. Then boxing up her toddler clothes and not believing that she’d ever been so small. Before I knew it, she’d be ten, then a teenager, and moving on to live a life of her own.
My little girl.
The doorbell echoed through the house, and Graham yapped loudly, his claws scrabbling over the hardwood toward the foyer.
“Oh hush,” I told him, following him to the front door.
When I opened it, I saw Regina in a flowy white shirt and denim shorts beside my old colleague, Ben. He wore swim trunks and a T-shirt, different from the business clothing I’d always seen him in.
“Fletcher,” he said, extending his hand.
I nodded, wishing I could say it was good to see him. “Come on in.”
They followed me inside, and Regina said, “Wow, I didn’t know they made houses like this in the boonies.”
I tried to ignore the jab at small-town living and said, “It’s a nice place for Maya and me to call home.”
She didn’t reply, looking around.
“Maya should be back soon,” I said. “Why don’t you two sit in the living room. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’d love a beer,” Ben said.
You and me both, I thought.
“Just water,” Regina replied, following Ben to the couch. “Where’s Liv?”
Going to the fridge, I said, “She’s prepping for the party. She’s been so good to Maya today.”
I’d brought them both drinks when my brother’s loud truck came roaring into the driveway.
“Hayes?” Regina asked knowingly.
I chuckled. “Some things never change.”
Soon, Maya came running into the house, a ring of chocolate around her lips. “MOMMY!” She ran to Regina, leaping into her arms.
To her credit, Regina didn’t pull away from all the chocolate, instead circling her arms around our daughter. With Maya still on her lap, Regina said, “Maya, this is my boyfriend, Ben. Phoebe’s dad.”
“Hi,” Maya said shyly.
“Nice to meet you,” Ben said with a smile. “I heard you met Phoebe at Sugar Rush.”
Maya nodded. “Did she come for the party?”
Ben shook his head. “She’s with her mom this weekend.”
Hayes and Knox came into the house in their swim trunks and cut-off T-shirts. They were nice enough to Regina and Ben, saying hi before Knox said, “Should we head out to the river, Fletch?”
I nodded. “It’s about that time.”
Maya asked, “Can I ride with Mommy and Ben?”
The fact that she didn’t want to ride with me hit me in the gut. I knew I shouldn’t be jealous, but some things didn’t come so naturally. “If it’s okay with your mom, it’s okay with me,” I finally said.
Regina smiled. “Of course it is. Ben, can you carry her bag to the trunk?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135